“But I don’t want to,” she added softly. I stifled a relieved breath. “I’m not sure I could just have sex without getting feelings, either. I want to pretend I can, and maybe for a while I could. But emotions are messy, and you guys are, well, you.”

What did that even mean? But Rigby clearly knew, and he was leaning forward eagerly. “So you want to try this?”

“I’m not saying that, either. I’ve never even been on a date with any of you. I’m not about to jump headlong into some alternative relationship with you all.” Rigby looked crestfallen. “But I’m open to seeing where it goes, if you guys are open to it too.”

He nodded eagerly. “Of course. We’ll go on dates, all the normal stuff.”

“What about the press?” River asked, dropping a lead balloon right on all the progress we’d made.

Rigby shrugged. “We’ll cross that bridge if it becomes a problem. Until we become official, we toe the party line. We’re good friends. Nova is special. When we’re all in, we’ll talk to the executive team about making some kind of official announcement.”

I looked between them. I hadn’t fucking thought about the team. “It won’t affect your careers?”

Nova looked anxious at the thought. It was River who waved a dismissive hand. “If Ludo can get caught fucking a puck bunny in public at least once every season, they can deal with this.”

Silence was loud in the room. I didn’t know about anyone else, but it was because my mind was whirling.

Just like in business, I thought shit through, weighing up the risks and the benefits. There was a chance that Nova would come between us. We were rock solid, especially River and I, but love made men crazy. There was a chance she wouldn’t want me at the end. The thought literally made my stomach curdle. There was a chance we would take a financial hit if the announcement of our relationship went badly. I was less worried about that.

The guys could lose their positions in the IceCaps, but they were too good not to be picked up somewhere else. Though not necessarily together. Alternately, they could be transferred during the draft, and how would the relationship they were suggesting work if we were in different states?

Worst of all, if we fucked it all up, Nova would take Huey and leave for good. We’d lose them both.